The Anatomy of a Wedding Thank You Note

With wedding planning comes so much new etiquette. One of the most nuanced is in all of the printed materials. We sat down with Chelsea Shukov and Jamie Grobecker the graphic designers and letterpress masterminds behind the stationery brand, Sugar Paper LA to discuss the dos and don'ts of the thank you note. Read on for their tips and to see their breakdown of a typical thank you note.

Yes, every thank you note should have six key sentiments: the greeting, the gratitude, how you'll use it, until next time, many thanks and the goodbye. 

We think so! When we were planning our weddings, we both wanted to write letters to our parents and couldn't find the right card to express that sentiment. We also love the idea of asking your bridesmaids to be in your wedding through the mail. The card serves as a keepsake as well as a place to express your feelings to your best friends. Sending cards other than the traditional thank you note is an extra touch to make the people who make your day special feel loved and appreciated. 

After receiving a gift, how long do you have to send a thank you note?  

A note is appreciated any time it is received, but we suggest knocking them out as soon as you get a chance. Having a huge list of thank you notes to write can be overwhelming. A great trick to stay on top of your notes is to have a stack of thank you notes and a pen on hand as you open each gift. If you write each note before you open the next gift it makes the process really simple and very timely. 

Spreadsheets work miracles. At showers, ask a friend to take notes as you open gifts. Include who gave it to you, what it was and what you immediately liked about it. Once you're done, put everything in a spreadsheet and then check names off as you go down your list. It's a simple way to keep track of what people gave you whether or not you've already written a thank you note. 

 The good news is that most people don't have handwriting that looks like calligraphy! And more often than not, people dislike their own handwriting even it looks perfect to others. Our biggest tip for couples frustrated with their own handwriting is to slow down. Take your time when you're writing your notes, and you may surprise yourself. The pen you use can also make a difference. Try out a few different ones until you find the one that you like best. 

They don't have to, but it's really cute when they do!